Hama’s main attraction is the norias (water wheels up to 20m in diameter)that have graced the town for millennia. Because both the water wheels and the blocks on which they are mounted are wooden, the friction when they turn produces a mournful groaning.
There have been norias in Hama since at least the 4th century AD, but the wheels seen today were designed by the 13th-century Ayyubids, who built around 30 of the things. Of these, 17 norias survive, although all have been reconditioned and/or rebuilt.
The most accessible norias are right in the middle of town, but the most impressive wheels lie about 1km upstream, and are collectively known as the Four Norias of Bechriyyat . In the opposite direction, about 1km west of the centre, is the largest of the norias, known as Al-Mohammediyya . It dates from the 14th century.
